Uzumaki Treasure
by Cassie's Bedlam
Summary: Time-Travel fic. She appeared out of nowhere, protected by the chakra of a fallen Uzumaki. Uzumaki Mito named her Takara as she was once treasured by an Uzumaki. Takara, who would become her dearest friend. Takara, who claims to remember nothing. Takara, who will change the shinobi world for the Uzumaki who treasured her. Takara with her pink hair and green eyes.
1. Chapter 1

**Uzumaki Treasure**

**(Revised)**

**AN: I own only the plot, I don't own any recognisable characters or Naruto. I'm also not profiting from this.**

**I would also like to thank my new Beta Duesal10 for helping me with this.**

**Chapter One**

* * *

Uzumaki Mito would always remember the day that she met her dearest friend, though at the time she wasn't aware of how much the woman would come to mean to her.

She had been only eight at the time, studying seals with the rest of the Clan's children, when a shockwave of chakra, chakra of an Uzumaki with the tainted chakra of the Tailed-Beasts, exploded from the centre of the compound.

She had scrambled after her teacher, who had looked alarmed at the feel of the chakra, a gaggle of the Clan's children following her. It seemed like the whole Clan had come to the centre of the compound, and all the adults were muttering to each other as they peered over the sea of red hair in front of them to whatever had caused the shockwave of chakra.

Uzumaki Mito had always known she was curious—she was also stubborn. She wanted to know what had caused the shockwave and she wanted to know what had made the adults so alarmed about it. So she weaved through the bodies of the adults, dodging between legs as she went till she was near the front and could squeeze through to see what had all the adults staring.

The cause of the shockwave and the stares turned out to be a young woman. She lay on the ground which was covered in a large complex seal and was she covered in blood. Her long hair was stained the colour of blood and it was tangled, dirty, and in places looked like someone had just hacked it off. Mito thought that some of it looked almost burnt. The slender woman was also obviously heavily injured.

But that wasn't all. Even she could see that though she stood fifteen feet away from the woman, she could feel the protective chakra of the Uzumaki surrounding the woman, brushing outwards towards everyone in the Clan like wind to judge what they intended to do to the woman it protected. The chakra had to be the only thing keeping the woman alive—of this Mito was sure. She could see no other way for her being still alive when she was that covered in blood and the blood pool forming around her.

She felt sick, she had never thought about how much a human could bleed before they died. When her kin came back from the battleground she had never seen them when they first came back. She had never seen how heavily injured they were before they had started healing or were healed completely.

She could see her Grandfather crouched over the woman, studying both her and the seal that brought her to them. His guards behind him were waiting on his orders, still at a loss of whether they should do, on whether they kill her or help her?

A frown pulled at his wrinkled weathered face before he stood back and motioned for some healer to help the woman, and swiftly.

She knew that her Grandfather would help the woman, she had no doubt about that. No matter how unsettling he thought her sudden appearance was or the state she appeared in was. An Uzumaki had died to get this woman to them, died to make sure this woman would live. They had infused the woman's body with their chakra and gave their life for the seal to work so it could bring her to them. To safety. Mito could tell that much from looking at the seals and feeling the chakra.

The woman, whoever she was, would be safe with the Uzumaki Clan. Always.

* * *

It took Mito a day to track down where they had put the woman while she healed. She had overheard that the Healers of the Clan had been horrified at the state the woman had been in when they had first saw to her wounds. Though they had been surprised about how well she had absorbed their chakra, Mito had even overheard that the woman had placed herself into a healing coma. Because of that, they weren't sure when she would wake up. Nor were they sure if she would wake up at all.

Mito knew she had to be careful when she sneaked into the room. She would be stopped if anyone saw her or felt her chakra near the Stranger (as the children had dubbed her). She was her Grandfather's heiress after all, she had to be kept safe even if she was never going to lead the Clan. Her future marriage to Senju Hashirama assured to that.

She kept her chakra carefully cloaked as she entered the room, softly and slowly sliding open the door enough that she could slip in before she closed it shut softly.

She was hopeful that everyone would think she was in her room, studying her seals like a good little girl, as she had left a clone there. A new type of clone that Tobirama had come up with. He had dubbed them Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique). It even had her chakra signature.

The room they had put her in was rather simple and small. There was a table next to the door cluttered with tubs of paste and ointments, bottles of tonics, a supply of clean bandages and two bowls filled with water, one of them bloody, still holding the stained cloth from the woman's last change of bandages.

The only thing that was also in the room was a simple futon where the woman slept, surrounded by a soft green glow coming from her skin: her healing chakra at work.

Mito crept closer and peered down at the unconscious woman.

Though she was still pale with blood loss, she looked better than when she had first saw her yesterday. She was clean, and her hair had been washed and cropped close to her skull so it spiked out slightly from her head. Her hair was pink, Mito thought though it was odd, it was somehow pretty in a way. Rare too.

A bandage was fixed over the curve of the left side of her face, the bitter smell of paste to help lessen scars came from it. Her arms were above the sheets and was wrapped firmly in bandages, her fingers had little splints to help keep them straight. A lot of the woman's torso was also covered in bandages. Mito expected the rest of the woman's body was like wised bandaged.

"One of my kin must have treasured you a lot to give up their life to make sure you got here and live." She said softly to the unconscious woman. "I don't know who you are, so I'm going to call you Takara." She smiled at the unaware woman. "It means treasure."

She knew she would keep visiting Takara, perhaps she would be her friend when she awoke. Mito thought Takara was special, so she had to wake up. Why else would an Uzumaki give up their life to save one woman?

Mito supposed she should inform the Clan what she had called Takara. It would be very rude to keep calling her the stranger.

For the next two months, Takara did nothing but sleep as she healed her body and colour returned to her pale skin. Her wounds finished closing, healing into thin pale scars mostly so they had taken off her bandages after the first month. After that the Healers dressed her in a plain white sleeping yukata.

Takara's thickest scar was on the left side of her face, starting at her hairline and finishing at her jaw. It followed the curve of her face and hadn't even touched her eye so it was safe.

Mito continued to visit every day though the other children thought she was crazy to visit an unconscious woman as they were sure it was very boring. But Mito didn't find it boring. She would talk to the unconscious woman, read her books, and explain seals to her as she studied them.

She liked to think that Takara could hear her, so she didn't feel silly as she spoke to the obviously comatose woman.

The rest of the Clan had found out about her visits as she knew they would. They had tried to stop her from visiting Takara, uncomfortable with letting their heiress visit the strange woman even if the woman was unconscious, but they had eventually understood that nothing would stop Mito from visiting Takara.

The day that Takara finally opened her eyes started like every other day. Mito woke, went to breakfast, went to her morning training, and finally took a break for rest and to find something to eat before she joined the rest of the Clan's children in learning more about seals. It was mid-afternoon by the time she got to Takara's room. This time she had brought a book of haiku that Hashirama had gifted her.

She had settled down at the end of Takara's futon, opening the book carefully.

"What's the Butterfly

Dreaming

As it moves its wings so?" Mito read aloud to Takara.

"What do you think Takara-san?" Mito's head turned automatically towards Takara though she didn't expect a response.

She gasped as her dark blue eyes met pale green eyes. Takara-san was blind.

When she had expected Takara to wake up, she had never expected her to be blind. Had it happened from the blow to her head? Could she be healed? Would she ever see again?

"You're awake Takara-san!" Mito couldn't help but to exclaim in delight, even if Takara didn't know her. To Mito Takara was a friend.

"Takara?" Her voice was rough and bemused, she had to swallow before she could speak again. "Is that what you call me?"

"Hai, we didn't know your real name so we gave you one." Mito swallowed slightly. She had been so used to calling this woman Takara that she didn't know if she would ever be comfortable calling her something else. "But now you're awake, we can call you your proper name."

An odd smile curled at Takara's full lips as she tilted her head slightly, her blind green eyes still staring.

"It seemed the blow to my head took both my sight and memories." Takara told her softly, her voice rough and husky making Mito scramble to get her a glass of water. "I think I'll keep the name Takara." She said as she moved up to sit up, a grimace pulling at her lips as she rested her back against the wooden wall behind her.

Mito pressed the cup filled with water into Takara's hand, Takara barely hesitated before she brought the rim of her cup to her lips to drink. Obviously, she had trained without sight before.

Mito sat herself on the futon and found herself staring at the young woman.

The Healers had told her that Takara could only be nineteen at the most. Takara had obviously been involved in the Warring States, most likely fighting next to the side of the Uzumaki. She had seen many of her kin, both younger and older then Takara, being buried in plain wooden coffins. She was pleased that Takara wouldn't be joining them.

"Are you just going to stare at me? Or will you tell me your name?" Takara broke her from her thoughts making her flush in embarrassment.

Mito ducked her head before she answered; "Uzumaki Mito."

The sound of the something cracking made her head snap up quickly. Takara's face had lost all colour, the cup in her right hand was breaking under her strong grip. Any stronger and it would shatter.

"Takara-san!" Mito exclaimed in slight panic and worry, hands reaching out for the cup.

Takara released the cup to her, which luckily hadn't broken, before she buried her face in her calloused hands. Mito carefully placed the cup on the floor before looking at the older woman in concern.

"Takara-san?" Mito questioned softly. "What's wrong?"

Takara looked up, her face completely blank for barely a moment before shifting into a smile that pulled at her scar while her eyes slid closed.

"Just a small flash back of memories." She reassured her. "But unfortunately those memories have escaped me."

Mito nodded with a hum, unconvinced.

"Shouldn't a healer be looking over me now that I'm awake?" Takara asked, the insincere smile still pulling at her lips.

"Hai!" Mito scrambled to her feet and rushed to the door, she should have gotten a healer the moment she had noticed Takara was awake.

* * *

_Damn you, Naruto. What did you do? _Takara, as she now was dubbed, thought as she reburied her face into her hands the moment she heard the door close behind Uzumaki Mito.

Uzumaki Mito. The young girl who would one day become Senju Hashirama's wife, the young girl who would one day seal the Kyuubi within herself after Madara used it against her husband. Uzumaki Mito, the grandmother of Tsunade-shishou.

She bit her lip so she wouldn't let loose the panicked laugh she could feel building in her chest.

Oh god. She was over hundred years in the past, she was blind and she was weak at the moment. She could feel her muscles had emaciated from lack of use—she had been unconscious for a while then.

She breathed deeply. She had to think positive. She knew how to fight blind, Lee and herself used to spar blindfolded so they could fight against the sharingan. So she should be able to get a handle on her new disability. She had always been praised about her chakra control, she could use it in a way that was similar to echolocation so she could get a mental vision of things. She would need to get back into shape, but of course, she wasn't as bad as she could have been. Her chakra had kept her muscles from weakening too much. She could be back in shape quickly.

She was with the Uzumaki Clan, Naruto's family, and she suspected that they wouldn't harm her considering the fact they had treated all her wounds—fatal and nonfatal alike—and had put her in a plain and comfortable room with no guard. She was in the past. She could change things. She shouldn't change things because she had no idea what damage she could cause. But Takara knew herself too well—she would change things.

She would kill Uchiha Madara. With him gone and dead, Uchiha Obito would either die on that fateful mission or if she lived long enough she could save him. Make an effect on Kakashi's life, make an effect on Obito's life. But Uchiha Obito would never start a war against the nations because of Rin's death. No, she wouldn't let that happen. She would have to think of a way so no Kiri nin could try and use her as a jinchuriki, it would most likely take years for her to think up a way. But if she was smart, if she was cunning, she could have years to live. She would have to be careful in battle, she couldn't let anyone land any lethal blows on her.

She could save Nawaki and Dan for Tsunade. But if Nawaki lived, would he become Hokage? She knew she would keep Uzumaki Kushina and Namikaze Minato alive, she would keep them safe. For Naruto, so Naruto could grow up happily with his family. She would help Minato become Hokage, she had read the books on his short rein as Hokage. He was a good leader, he had been a shining beacon of hope, like his son would one day become. He had kept the village safe, there was a large baby boom in his rein. He did great things as Hokage.

But how could she know that Nawaki wouldn't do those thing as well? Wouldn't do greater things? She knew that Nawaki's death had almost broken Tsunade, but it had been Dan's death that had destroyed her for years before Naruto came to her and made that bet with her. She knew Tsunade could live through Nawaki's death—his death had spurned Tsunade on with her healing and made Tsunade fight to put a medic on every team.

Without Uchiha Madara, she was hopeful that the Uchiha wouldn't try to rebel. If they did, she was hopeful she could come up with another way of dealing with it without having to kill off the whole Clan.

That meant she would have to be close to the Hokage.

If she remained close to Uzumaki Mito, if she became something akin to a guard to her, she would be close to the Shodai at least. Most likely the Nidaime too. If she was close to the Nidaime then she should be close to the Sandaime. She was determined to live till at least Naruto became a genin. She could do that, if she was smart and she stored the rest of Naruto's chakra—which she could still feel infused into her very cells and mixed with her chakra—she should be able to live as long as an Uzumaki could.

She had heard of them living over a hundred years if they didn't fall in battle or to a fatal wound. And she would try her damn best not to let herself fall. She was too stubborn to die before she was sure that Naruto was going to have a better life then he did in her past. She wouldn't die till she was sure that she had done everything in her power to give Naruto a long and happy life. A long and happy life to all her boys. She wouldn't die till she knew the shinobi world would be safer for him and the rest of her friends.

She swore to herself, it would be her new ninja way. To protect them. To live to keep them as safe as possible. To do everything in her power to not let what she knew was going to come to past happen. She knew she couldn't possibly make sure they were completely safe. They were ninja and they could did in battle any day. But she would be damned if she didn't make them as safe as possible.

She would never let anyone know who she once was. Now she was Takara, named by Uzumaki Mito. And that would be the name placed on her headstone when she finally died and was buried. She would never tell anyone her true name. It would be a secret that she will take to the grave.

_Sakura..._


	2. Chapter 2

**Uzumaki Treasure**

**Chapter Two**

* * *

Uzumaki Mito wasn't pouting, nor was she sulking. Or whatever Takara said she was doing. Anyway, what did she know anyway? She was blind! She couldn't see a thing!

"Still pouting?" Takara's voice came from under her, not even a hint of a strain in her voice though she had been doing push-ups with her perched on her back for half-hour already.

"I'm not pouting!" Mito did not whine out the answer, no matter what Takara's amused chuckle might have suggested.

Takara had woken up two weeks ago and had been determined since to 'get back into shape' or something like that. She had ignored whatever the Clan's healers said, quipping that she was a medic too and knew her body's limits better than they did. She had started doing runs around the compound since the morning after she woke up. She had also begun to do at least a hundred push-ups a day with Mito perched on her back.

Mito wasn't sure what Takara did while she was training or in class, but she could tell the Clan's Healers weren't pleased with anything she did.

But that wasn't why she was pouting. Or rather, wasn't the reason Takara thought she was pouting. The reason that Takara thought she was pouting was because her Grandfather had come to visit Takara the morning, during the time where Mito had started to take her break and rest.

They had talked, completely ignoring Mito, which just wasn't fair as Takara was her friend and she was his granddaughter. Takara assured him that she would do nothing to harm any of the Uzumaki Clan as long as they didn't try to harm her. She swore loyalty to the Uzumaki Clan, even going so far as letting Grandfather place on a seal her right shoulder that could cause her pain to stop her from harming any Uzumaki without reason. The seal ended up looking like the Uzumaki's swirl.

Then they started talking about what Takara would be doing for and in the Clan now that she became a retainer to the Uzumaki Clan. That was when Takara asked to be Mito's guard! And he agreed!

Mito had thought they had become friends. Takara was the only one out of the close family that called her Mito-chan and wasn't formal with her. Mito liked being treated like everyone else. But now Takara was going to be her guard. That meant she couldn't be her friend anymore, none of her previous guards had ever been her friend as well, and would end up being formal with her too. She would most likely start calling her Mito-hime like all the other guards did.

"Maa, Mito-chan I didn't know you hated me so much that you didn't want me around anymore." Takara sighed dramatically. "I'll go tell Uzumaki-sama that you obviously don't want me around or as your friend-"

"You're still going to be my friend?" Mito would never admit that her voice wavered for just a moment.

Takara paused in her motions for one long moment as Mito stared down at her pink head.

"Of course I'm still going to be your friend." Takara's voice had gone to a gentle tone that Mito hadn't yet heard from her friend. "That's why I want to be your guard. So I can protect my new little friend."

"I'm not little." Mito muttered stubbornly though there was now a smile on her face and her heart felt lighter.

"Too me you are." Takara laughed as she continued her exercise.

Takara was her friend. Takara wanted to protect her because she was her friend and not because she was the Uzumaki Princess. Takara was still going to be informal with her, still going to call her Mito-chan, still going to listen to her because she wanted too not because she had too. And she was still most likely think of ways to annoy her though she would secretly like them. Takara would be nothing like her other guards had been. Because Takara was her friend first. Whoever she used to be in her life before didn't matter to Mito.

And that made everything better.

* * *

When Takara was first allowed to walk around Uzushiogakure, she understood what inspired Senju Hashirama to one day create Konohagakure no Sato.

Uzushiogakure-the first true shinobi village-was beautiful. Even though she could no longer see, it was like a fact she knew. Like she knew the sky was blue and everything had chakra.

She knew that Uzushiogakure was beautiful.

Uzumaki Kaito, Mito's Grandfather, only let her walk around the village because of his seal. And the moment that Mito excitably tugged her out of the Uzumaki Compound, she had been overwhelmed.

The seals in the walls the surrounded the compound and the village itself made it impossible for Takara to sense it, unless she was standing within it.

The moment she had stepped out of the gates of the compound and into the village itself, she had gone still and no amount of tugging from Mito would make her move.

It had been years since she last felt the chakra of hundreds of people. The low levels of civilians and the higher levels of shinobi mixing together in a way she hadn't felt since before the war.

She could feel the chakra brimming under her feet, the very earth had absorbed traces of a thousand peoples' chakra as they went about their daily lives. She could feel the chakra infused into the seals of the stone that made up the village and its large bridges. Could feel the smooth chakra of the large rivers that ran right through the village.

But it wasn't the peaceful and overwhelming feeling of the chakra that made it beautiful to her. No, what made it beautiful was the sounds that filled the air and reached her ears, making her heart ache and long for the home in her murky childhood memories.

There was bursts of laughter with no stain of worry, like people didn't know there was a war going on. There were gleeful and playful shrieks from children—when had she last heard such a sound? It had to have been over five years.

The children weren't frightened, there were no muffled whimpers, no pained whines from the children who were told that their parents were never coming back, no sounds of panic as they were herded to a hopeful safe place so Obito couldn't kill them and thus kill their future.

They were loud in a way that she had heard in years. The children she could remember had learned swiftly that they lived longer if they were quiet.

She couldn't hear the sounds of children being taught to kill at too young of age. No stifled whimpers of pain as impassive sensei-who had learned it was better not to care for students that would only be cattle fodder on the battleground-pushed them passed their limits.

These children were playing, chasing each other through the crowds and generally making nuisances of themselves. And Takara hadn't heard something as beautiful as that in years.

There were bird songs. Bird songs! When had she last heard the birds sing? Five years ago? Maybe more.

The ground was firm under her feet, not muddy because of the blood. The rivers didn't have the coppery iron smell of blood that had once made her stomach roll. Before she could hardly remember not smelling it so obviously. She had almost forgotten how clear they could be and how fresh they could smell. She had become so used to wadding through bloody water that had left her clothes a horrifying red until she switched to wearing all black so it wouldn't show.

Uzushiogakure was peaceful and filled with happy people. No hint of a war going on was heard from its people.

And because such a thing had become foreign to her, she couldn't stop the one tear escaping her unseeing eyes. She had always been quick to tears.

She knew it had worried Mito, her reaction hadn't been normal. But the red head young girl didn't bother her about it as she explained everything about the village to Takara, describing all the sights to her.

The fact that Mito didn't let go of her hand, not once when they walked around the village, was telling enough.

Uzushio inspired her to have Konoha as close to it as possible. So Konoha's children could grow up happily, freely, and safely in her walls. She would make sure it happened.

* * *

Takara would freely admit that she wasn't expecting Senju Hashirama to be as dramatic or as emotional as he was. He was hopelessly in love with Mito, doting on her, giving gifts, and when she rebuffed his efforts, he would sulk for a while with his chakra basically screaming his depression. He loved his brothers fiercely though he didn't dote on them like he did with Mito.

Over all Takara wondered how such an over-emotional boy could be a shinobi. Then she would remember the shinobi that she had grown up surrounded by. Shinobi were all crazy—some just hid it better than others and some showed it more obviously.

But she would tell anyone who asked her opinion, which was only Mito really, that Senju Tobirama was the most annoying little brat she had ever met.

Since she was blind, he was under the mistaken impression that she was useless as a guard for his future sister-in-law. Since the Senju had arrived to visit with their cousin clan, and he had boldly and rudely stated his opinion after he was introduced to her; he had been trying to catch her off guard.

He would try to attack her, which she always stopped because she could hear him breathing and him moving. He would try to sneak up to her, which didn't work because no matter how good of control he had over his chakra, it was Takara with the prefect chakra control. He had challenged her to what was really hide-and-seek, which she always won because she could always find him and he couldn't find her.

Tobirama was a seven year old brat who had yet to grow into the ninja of legend that she knew. And Takara had spent her childhood hiding from and trying to find Hatake Kakashi. He had no hope of finding her when she had gotten so good that Kakashi had to cheat with his Sharingan to win.

He had even had the nerve to challenge her to a spar. The brat was very shocked with her amazing (read inhuman) strength though she had made sure not to use chakra. She wanted to beat down his ego, not kill him. He lost embarrassingly fast.

Then he challenged her to find Mito before he did. It had been a stupid challenge as Takara had spent months with Mito, feeling her chakra when she had been recovering and being Mito's guard before the Senju came to see them. Takara always won those challenges too.

Frustrated, he challenged her to races, but she always won no matter what had been set in her way. She had been running for a lot longer than him and she was a lot taller than him.

It pissed her off that a seven year old could consider her useless because she was blind. It also pissed her off that he wouldn't stop challenging her every single day.

Hashirama made the stupid mistake of saying he thought his younger brother had a crush on her. Takara's temper, which had gotten better as she got older but had still been considered legendary and widely feared, snapped. When Takara had finished her furious rant, Hashirama had been a cowering ball at her feet and she could feel Mito staring at her in awe.

Hashirama became wary of coming close to her since then and Tobirama had found it hard to look at her face since. Mito would tell her later that his face was always red when he did. He had obviously heard that rant she had given his brother about the stupid idea of a crush and what she would do to both him and Tobirama if they mentioned it again. Her words had been violent and graphic in what she would do to them.

Tobirama was also furious with Hashirama. Any spars between them got very bloody.

Many of the Uzumaki men that had heard her rant had gotten a sudden dose of fearful respect when it came to her. She couldn't wait till the Senju left.

* * *

Mito knew that she loved Takara. She knew they had only known each other a short while but it didn't matter to her. She knew she loved the strange pink haired woman. And that was why Mito would never tell anyone about her suspicions, especially not Hashirama's father—Senju Butsuma—who had been eyeing Takara with distrust since he met her and treated her with little respect.

She was sure that Takara had to have at least some of her memories. Mito knew that Takara knew her real name but for some odd reason she was content with her new name. She suspected that Takara came from far away, fought in a war very different from the Warring States, a war where she had lost everything too.

She knew that Takara was grieving. She suspected that she was the only friend that Takara had alive. She also suspected that Takara would be protective of her, and she didn't really mind, because Takara wanted to keep Mito safe. Not the Uzumaki Princess, her!

Mito knew that Takara was a lot more guarded then she let people know. She knew that she was the only one that Takara had currently let in her heart. She suspected that Mito had reminded her of someone briefly, but was sure that Takara loved her for her and not for a ghost she reminded her of.

She suspected Takara was planning something. She didn't think it was anything bad or anything that would harm Mito or the Uzumaki and Senju Clans, but she didn't know what. And honestly, she didn't want to know.

She knew whatever Takara was planning had to do with the memories she claimed not to remember. Mito thought it was best if she only knew who Takara was now, and didn't try to find out who she had been in the past.

She trusted Takara. Takara was too kind and compassionate to do something truly horrible.

She knew that Takara was dangerous—deadly. The ease in which she evaded Tobirama's attacks and attempts on finding her was telling. Even if for once Tobirama was too hot-headed to realise it. She was sure he would. Eventually.

Mito knew that she—and only she—had Takara's loyalty, and Mito hoped that Takara knew that she had hers in return.

She knew that Takara was more effected by the war she had fought then Mito suspected that Takara knew. Her clothing choices were simple, durable and meant to protect her.

Thick durable black fitted trousers-fitted enough that they wouldn't hinder her movement and loose enough that they wouldn't make it awkward to move-that she tucked into her black steel-toothed boots that protected her feet. A black sleeve-less turtle neck top with a dark grey flak jacket and a chain mail vest underneath both. Dark arm guards-inlaid with metal-were worn over long leather gloves with blank metal plates that protected the back of her hands. There was padding in her trousers to make it harder for her to be slashed or stabbed fatally in the leg. Takara also had a habit of wearing a chain mail collar under her turtle-neck top so it would need more force for someone to slash her throat.

She knew despite the fact that Takara seemed rather laid-back with the rest of the clan that Takara only really trusted Mito. It had taken her a while to notice. But she had seen the way Takara held herself differently around the rest of the clan, loose enough to attack and stiff enough to defend. But she was relaxed when it was just the two of them, though always ready for an attack, and that was how Mito knew that Takara trusted her.

And Mito trusted Takara, no matter what she was hiding or planning. Takara was her friend and Mito trusted her.

And that was all the mattered.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

* * *

Takara could have screamed curses at Uzumaki Kaito. Just when she thought she would be free from the annoying Senju brothers, he decided that his granddaughter should live with her future husband.

That meant she would be going with Mito. That meant she would never be free of Tobirama and his stupid and insulting challenges. That meant she had to put up with Senju Butsuma whom she had already decided that she hated.

Kami-sama must hate her.

* * *

Senju Tobirama would always remember the day that he had to finally admit that Takara was the best guard that Mito would ever have.

He would always remember when he had first met her when he had been seven. She had been lounging against the wall behind Mito, her arms had been folded loosely across her chest with her eyes closed.

He could remember taking in the toned muscles in her arms. The slight broadness of her shoulders that suggested that she used her upper strength a lot. Her frame had been tall and slender. It told him she took her training seriously and that she ate well.

But he didn't like her. In his opinion a guard shouldn't keep their eyes close when their charge could be attacked. The fact she didn't once flicker her eyes open once as the Senju main family approached had earned her his distain.

And that was before he knew she was blind.

He was sure that Uzumaki Kaito had gone senile when he had found out. Why in the world would he let a blind woman protect his granddaughter? The next matriarch of the Senju Clan!

He knew she wasn't worthy of being Mito's guard. Her only guard. So he challenged her to show everyone how she shouldn't be guarding his future sister-in-law. He challenged her to spars, races, and hide-and-seek.

But to his never ending frustration, she always won, no matter what he challenged her too. And she always worn that annoying smug smile when she did win too.

He could have strangled Hashirama when he came up with the stupid idea that he had a crush on that woman! Hashirama should have known that only a strong, capable and loyal woman would ever catch his eye.

Of course, Tobirama completely ignored the fact that those things applied to Takara, and that was why Hashirama had even suggested it.

He had heard the rant she had gone into when Hashirama had mistakenly and foolishly mentioned this supposed crush in front of her. Takara's graphic and violent threats had made many men in the Uzumaki Clan give her a healthy berth. He also knew for a fact that it had given Hashirama nightmares. And perhaps he had a few too. Not like he was going to admit that to her though.

Still, Tobirama would always remember the day that Takara truly showed her strength. In such a way that Tobirama could no longer ignore what his challenges he had kept setting her since he had been seven was hinting at.

They had made a foolish mistake. And it had almost cost them their lives.

Hashirama, Mito and himself had decided to go off on their own, without any guard, and more importantly without Takara. In their arrogance they had thought no one would attack them with them still being so close to the Senju Compound. They had thought even if someone did, they would be able to defend themselves.

They had been ten and nine after all, and had fought in the War of States. They were sure they would be able to take on anyone who was stupid enough to challenge them.

They had been wrong. They had been attacked. They had been both outnumbered and outclassed. They had been beaten bloody and bruised and bound so they couldn't continue to fight.

Tobirama would always remember the look of utter fury and pain that crossed his older brother's face when the enemy shinobi started to laughingly talk about what they would do to the Uzumaki Princess before they slit her throat.

It had been a look he had never seen on his brother's face. A look he would never have pictured on his kind and cheerful brother's face. And for one brief moment, Tobirama was afraid of his brother.

He would always be haunted by Mito's wide teary dark blue eyes and her fearful cry as the leader of the small group of enemies had took a step towards where she was held by two other shinobi while Hashirama and himself had been forced to their knees with their heads being held back painfully by their hair so they couldn't look away and had to watch what they would do to Mito.

Their friend, Hashirama's love, his future sister.

Takara had barely made a sound as she blurred behind the Leader, he had never seen her move so fast. One of her arms had locked around his neck while the other had brutally grabbed his dirty hair. The shinobi didn't even have the time to shout out before Takara pulled her hand which was tangled in his hair sharply back. The loud snap of his neck breaking echoed in the sudden silence before she released the heavy body which hit the floor with a dull thud.

Tobirama knew all the enemy had frozen as they saw how easily Takara had killed their leader, a man that was taller than her and stronger than her. But Tobirama had been sparring against Takara since he was seven, he wasn't surprised. He knew she had been holding back her full strength in their spars and even then her strength was near inhuman.

"You will release the girl now."

Never before had Tobirama heard Takara's voice so flat, so coldly furious, and so deadly. He would never admit to the shudder of fear that went down his spine when he heard her speak. He felt better that Hashirama had also shuddered.

It seemed that only one of the men holding Mito was intelligent. He had dropped his hold on Mito like she was on fire before turning tail and running. The other was obviously stupid. He tightened his grip on Mito's arm and caused her to cry out.

Tobirama knew if he had blinked, he would have missed her movement. If he had thought she was fast before, it had nothing on the speed she used in that moment.

One moment she was five feet away with a corpse at her feet and then the next she was beside Mito, one arm pulling the younger girl into her side while the other . . . Takara's other hand was buried through the stupid ninja's chest, which hadn't resisted like his chest was made of water.

The two shinobi that were meant to be guarding them had released their hold on their hair and stumbled back in horror as their friend gurgled before Takara violently pulled her closed fist out of his chest. He fell to the ground as dead as his leader.

Tobirama refused to ever think about what he saw fall to the ground when Takara opened her bloody hand. He knew he had gasped. Hashirama's face was pale and sweaty but oddly satisfied as he kept his gaze on Mito, who was clinging to Takara's waist, and didn't once glance at the mush of red that had once been a human heart on the ground.

The shinobi behind them gagged and retched. Tobirama didn't blame them—it took all his will power not to join them.

Not once had Tobirama seen something so brutal done to someone. He knew that moment would reappear in his nightmares for years to come.

Takara peered over her shoulder, blood splattered across her face, her scar and blind staring eyes made him think for the first time that Takara was frightening. Her face could have been made of stone.

"I suggest you leave if you don't want to end up the same way as your friend." Takara spoke lowly to the two rogue shinobi.

They didn't need to be told twice, they ran for their lives.

Takara's face remained cold as she broke the ropes that bound both Hashirama and Tobirama, Hashirama immediately pulling Mito into his arms where for the first time Tobirama could remember the strong older girl broke down in gut retching sobs.

He had chanced a glance up to Takara's eyes which, despite their blindness, showed her emotions fully. Her gaze seemed fixed on his person—the amount of disappointment, anger and lack of trust in the older woman's eyes almost made him flinch.

There was no softness to Takara's gestures to the brother nor in the tone in which she spoke to them. She was only gentle with Mito as she guided them back to the compound, never straying from Mito's side and allowing the ten year old girl to crush her clean hand.

Mito. Her charge. Her friend.

He should have known that Takara wouldn't have been unaware of them leaving the compound on their own. She had kept track of them. But she hadn't shadowed them closely. She had trusted them to protect Mito and they had failed. If she hadn't of been keeping track of them, he shuddered at the thought of what those men were going to do to Mito.

He knew Takara regretted trusting them. He knew they had lost her trust. He knew she was angry both with them and herself for letting what happened happen. It was clear that Takara was never again going to leave Mito's side. She never would trust them to protect Mito again.

Because they hadn't been able to protect her. Not like Takara had. Not like Takara would. Takara, who had let some of the enemy go so she didn't have to leave Mito's desperate hold. Takara, who refused to leave Mito's side after such trauma though Tobirama knew that Takara wanted them dead as well because of how they had threatened Mito. But Takara refused to put what she wanted above what Mito needed. And Mito had needed her more than anything.

Tobirama would never again say or imply that Takara wasn't the right guard for Mito. He would never again say that she wasn't capable just because she was blind, because he knew that there would never be a guard as loyal to Mito as Takara was, nor as protective or skilled.

* * *

Uzumaki Mito was eleven when she started to hate Senju Butsuma. She was eleven when Hashirama began to have a secret friendship, she knew the boy he was friends with was from the Uchiha Clan (she had sent Takara to find out who it was, how she knew he was an Uchiha without her sight, Mito would never know but didn't ask), and she was eleven when Kawarama was killed in battle and buried.

He had only been eight. He had the rest of his life ahead of him before it was cut short.

She listened to what Hashirama had said about how Kawarama's death had been pointless. And she couldn't agree more and she knew that Takara agreed too.

This was the world that people expected her to bring her children into? A world that would force them to fight in a pointless war and die a painful and pointless death? She couldn't stay the thought of having children in a world so war-torn.

She had felt her cheeks turn red with pure fury when she saw Butsuma slap Hashirama hard across the face. Only Takara's restraining hand on her shoulder had stopped her from attacking that man. How dare he strike Hashirama!

From the slight wince he gave, Mito could tell that Hashirama was used to such treatment. Perhaps that was the reason that Hashirama had first learnt to heal.

She didn't follow when the three Senju brothers left. She stayed standing in front of the plain grave of the boy who was meant to be her brother one day and felt hatred for the man that Hashirama called father.

Butsuma had left shortly after slapping his eldest son, so it was only Takara and herself.

That was good. She didn't want anyone else to witness what she was going to request from her guard.

"Takara-san?" Mito called softly, not taking her eyes from the grave in front of her.

"Hai, Mito-chan?" Was the calm response and despite what she was going to ask of her guard, Mito had to smile because Takara still treated her like a friend even though she had been her guard for going on to three years.

How could she have ever doubted her?

"If you ever see Butsuma-san in need of aid," Mito paused for a moment and took in a deep breath, "do not give him any."

There was a pause like Takara was waiting for her to take back her request. But Mito wouldn't. Couldn't. She would not regret giving this order, even if it was basically signing her future father-in-laws death notice.

That man had hurt Hashirama. Her friend, her best friend. The boy who was going to be her husband. The boy she had known all her life. The boy she couldn't picture her life without. And she would protect him in any way she could. She wasn't as strong as he was with Ninjutsu who, nor as skilled as Tobirama was with Taijutsu and Kenjutsu. But she had Takara on her side. And she knew that Takara would always help her.

"Very well, Mito." Takara agreed easily, like the order wouldn't most likely be one of the factors of Butsuma's future death.

And Mito loved Takara a bit more when she didn't even question her and just accepted it after a moment to make sure Mito was sure.

* * *

Mito's almost twelve when Tobirama follows Hashirama to his secret meeting with his friend. She's surprised he had been able to keep it a secret for as long as he had because though he was a ninja, Hashirama was terrible with secrets.

She's there when Hashirama is told that his friend is really Uchiha Madara, though she suspected that Hashirama already knew. Uchiha Madara, who was the heir of the Uchiha Clan, who had killed quite a few of Hashirama's kinsmen.

And she watches Hashirama's face as Butsuma outlines the ambush his planning. Not having to look to know that Takara's face had tightened at the mention of killing a child.

Takara's views of killing children and turning them into soldiers had been obvious. And Mito knew that was one of the reasons that Takara disliked Butsuma and had no problem with never giving him aid.

Mito knew that this ambush would place Tobirama in danger. He was Hashirama's only brother left since Itama's death, but Butsuma didn't seem to care that he was risking his son.

It also seemed that Butsuma didn't know his eldest son at all if he thought that Hashirama wouldn't find a way to warn Madara of the coming danger. They had been friends for getting on to a year, and Mito was sure that Hashirama cared more about Madara then the man he had to call father.

Mito knew no good would come of this. She knew both Hashirama and Tobirama would be in danger because of this.

She glanced over to where Takara was leaning against the wall, the blind woman sensed her gaze and answered her unspoken request with a small bow of her head. Mito knew that Takara would follow them and make sure no blood would be spilled, she would keep Hashirama and Tobirama safe.

Butsuma was on his own.

* * *

Hashirama felt like his heart was in his throat. He could see that both men were each aiming to kill the other's child, all while said child was distracted trying to kill the other child. He knew he could stop Uchiha Tajima from killing his brother and knew that Madara would stop Butsuma from killing his own brother, but what if they killed each other anyway?

He only had a moment to act when he felt a familiar flare of chakra. He threw his stone just as Madara did and both them and the deflected blades sunk into the water while Takara appeared between Tobirama and Izuna, her gloved hands glowing as she gripped their tanto blades.

"Takara-san!" Both Senju brothers exclaimed, one in relief and one in anger.

"What are you doing here?" Butsuma demanded as he landed between his two sons on the river as Tajima did the same.

The Uchiha Head couldn't stop the smirk that came to his face at the sight of the pink haired woman. He knew with her here that his plans were completely ruined no matter what Madara decided to do. Tajima knew he wouldn't be able to kill either Senju boy, Takara wouldn't let him. Takara's feelings for killing children and children shinobi had always been clear to everyone. She was the reason that most clans hadn't lost more children.

She healed them despite where they came from. She always used a slug to take them back to their clan compounds so they wouldn't go back to fighting.

Though everyone was aware that Takara couldn't see, the glance she sent Butsuma completely dismissed him like he wasn't important in the slightest, making the Senju Head bristle in anger while the Uchiha Head smirked wider.

"If you try to continue your foolish fight, I promise you I'll make you wish you were never born," Takara said sternly before pausing and adding like it was an afterthought, "Brats."

Before either ten year could do more than bristle in anger at being called brat, they were both sent flying back by a firm tap to the chest from the woman between them.

Madara and Hashirama both caught their younger brothers, each holding their last brother tightly to them, ignoring their struggles.

Takara gave them a closed eyed smile before she disappeared though no one was fooled. They knew she was still there, and they knew that she would step in again if they put the boys in danger.

* * *

Takara was completely still as she stood on a branch that gave her the perfect place for her to hear what was going on below. She kept her eyes closed—it wasn't like she could see anyway—and listened as Madara broke his friendship with Hashirama so he could protect his younger brother.

She could almost feel Hashirama's emotions through his flaring chakra. She could compare Hashirama's chaotic emotional state to him being slapped by someone he trusted, which in a way was what was happening.

She could tell that Madara didn't really want to break his friendship with Hashirama, but his bond with his brother was a lot stronger than the bond he had with his friend.

As an only child, she had never had a sibling to look up to or to protect. She had never fully understood the length siblings would go for one another. She had never really understood that one of the main reasons Sasuke was the so messed up was because he was betrayed by his elder brother, the brother he loved and looked up too, the brother who killed his family. So she knew she would never truly understand the lengths Madara and Hashirama would go to protect their younger brothers, the only brother they had left.

But she felt she understood in a way, because Takara would have done anything, killed anyone, betrayed anyone, done anything if it would have kept her team safe. Her boys safe. But her boys were gone, she would never have them with her again, though she still loved them and would do anything for them.

But Takara had Mito, and she would go through the same length for her as she would have done for her boys.

But now she had a new chance, a chance to make sure her boys wouldn't be hurt like they did in her memories. She would keep Mito save. She knew she had to destroy the tablet that gave Madara the stupid idea of the Eye-Moon plan and talked about God's Tree.

She could never let him have that knowledge, but she was undecided if she should destroy it while he was still a child or after he took over the clan. He wasn't nearly as depraved and destructive as the Madara from her time.

She knew that the table also told him about getting the Mangekyo Sharingan which he needed to get the Uchiha clan united under his rein, to not fight against him when he agreed to an alliance with their greatest enemy.

How would she know for sure that the Uchiha would live long enough for Sasuke to be born? Even if he wasn't her Sasuke, it was impossible to be sure that her boys would be born the same as they had in her past. They could be made up by a number of different genes. They could have different appearances and personality, could even be different genders.

She shook her head and breathed heavily out of her nose as she began to follow the Senju family back to the compound and more importantly back to Mito.

She would destroy the tablet as soon as she heard Madara achieved the Mangekyo Sharingan. There would be no Eye-Moon plan and the God's Tree would never be grown again. The Juubi would never rise either. She would make sure of that.

* * *

Mito's twelve when Hashirama first tries to get Takara to let him heal her eyes.

They both knew that Takara was a very skilled medic—the fact that Mito had no scars spoke of how skilled she was as only Takara healed Mito—despite how other medics huffed at Takara.

But they also knew she couldn't heal her eyes. It was too of delicate work to do on one's self, in addition to work on the brain and eyes—the patient had to be unconscious. They also knew that Takara trusted no one enough to let them heal her brain so she could see again.

But they knew she trusted Hashirama.

However it wasn't enough to let a twelve year old mess around with her brain. She didn't believe he had the skill needed for such delicate work. It had taken her years before she was skilled enough to heal her sensei's eye and deal with the resulting brain damage. She didn't believe Hashirama had enough skill at the moment.

But Hashirama was stubborn, as stubborn as his future wife and her guard.

He began studying medical jutsu madly, whining till Takara gave in to let him scan her brain and eyes. He wrote a whole book on notes about her brain and eyes, and theories of why she was blind and how he could fix her sight.

And despite the fact she was wary of letting the brat mess with her brain so she could see, never mind the fact that one day said brat would be marvelled as one of the greatest shinobi and medic of his age, she was impressed with the work and effort he was putting him.

And if Takara was honest to herself, she missed her sight. She missed seeing the blue sky, the bright sun that would make her eyes tear up. She wanted to see a clear river again, see happily playing children.

But she also and more importantly wanted to see Mito's face, see her pouts though Mito always insisted she didn't, see her smiles instead of just hearing them in her voice. She wanted to see how much Tsunade had taken after her grandmother. Wanted to see if she shared any features with Naruto.

She missed colour, she missed light. She hated being in complete darkness.

She had gotten used to having no sight for four years, but the truth was she was never really going to get used to it. When she woke up in the mornings, she always had that horrible moment of panic because it was too dark and she couldn't see. It took a while to remember that she hadn't seen anything for four years.

She wanted to watch Hashirama flutter over Mito, see the depressed expression on his face when she was too focused on something else and dismissed him.

Hell, she even wanted to see Tobirama's scowling face, especially after she won whatever contest they were doing.

Her sight would help her so much. Her sight would mean so much to her.

And deep down, despite the fact they would never be her boys again, she wanted to see them again. Happier different versions of them with their families, even though they would never know who she really was.

So she let Hashirama scan her wish his chakra as much as he wanted, listened as he spoke out loud as he wrote down his theories and results, said nothing about Mito's building hopefulness, and tried to tell herself that she wasn't as hopeful as her young ward.

She didn't want to get her hopes up to just get disappointed in the end.

* * *

Hashirama's fourteen when he believes he can fix Takara's sight. He wanted to give Mito's friend her sight back, he wanted to give his friend her sight back.

It took two more months of whining, pleading and finally begging before Takara finally agrees to let him try. He can tell that she doesn't think it will work but she's hopeful even if she hates to admit it.

She had laid down, her head on his lap and her eye closed as he softly placed his fingers on her head, pressing them slightly in her skull as her hand began to glow green.

He ignored Mito's hopeful state though he would normally be overjoyed with having her full attention, he had to focus. He also ignored the heavy gaze of Tobirama who tried to appear uninterested only to fail.

It takes hours, well over half his chakra, and he knows he only just started.

He would never tell anyone how anxious he was as he waited for Takara to slowly open her eyes.

When she does open them, she starts of reluctantly before they shoot open in disbelieve and wonder.

The joy in Takara's voice when she says she can see light makes it worth it. He barely heard Mito's joyful shout as she leaped at Takara. He was too busy laughing in both relief and success. He could heal her.

It takes almost two months of weekly healing so Takara could adjust to seeing again. But at the end of those sessions, Takara could see.

And her joy was clear to all. And though she took in everything with new found wonder, she was still protective of Mito and rarely let her out of her sight.

* * *

Senju Tobirama's thirteen when Takara regains her sight, and he thinks his brother's a genius for healing her.

He thought she was a great guard without her sight, but he knows that with it, she is a brilliant guard.

It was odd that she seemed more on guard with her sight then she ever had when she was completely blind.

He knew he would never defeat her now. Before, when she was blind, he had hoped one day he would beat her. Now she had regained her sight, and he knew that it was an impossible hope. But at least he wasn't being beaten by a blind woman anymore.

* * *

Takara was nineteen when she had been sure she was going to die, nineteen when she woke up to a world of total darkness in the past with an eight year old girl reading to her.

She was still nineteen when she became her friend and then guard. She had become Uzumaki Mito's guard. She wouldn't fail in her duty.

She had been twenty-one and let the Senju brothers protect Mito, mistakenly believing they could protect her. And because of that, she could have lost her friend. She swore she would never make that mistake again. She would never leave Mito unprotected again.

She was twenty-two when Hashirama becomes friends with Uchiha Madara, had just turned twenty-three when their friendships is broken because of their fathers' foolishness.

She was still twenty-three when Hashirama begins to beg her to let him heal her eyes. She refuses because of fear.

She was twenty-five when Hashirama declares he can heal her eyes. She hesitated two months before she warily agreed. It takes almost two months before she can see the world in its full colour and focus again. And she never wants to be part of the world of darkness again.

She's twenty-five when she finally begins to heal, and cried herself to sleep the first night after she got part of her sight back. She's twenty-five when she finally believes she can change everything. She would make a better world. She would never claim to be a god though, she had seen enough of what happened to shinobi who did that. She refused to ever be like them.

And she's twenty-five when she finally comes to peace with what Naruto did to her without warning.

* * *

Mito's seventeen and Takara's twenty-eight when Senju Butsuma dies.

Tobirama's sixteen and blames Takara. Believing she could have saved his father as she was near him when the Uchiha attacked.

It only took a week before Tobirama lost his temper. A week after the funeral, in an emotional display that was more common with Hashirama and not his younger brother, Tobirama shouted at Takara and loudly blamed her.

The guilt Mito feels was because Tobirama blamed Takara. She knew part of the reason that Takara didn't even try to help Butsuma was because of the request she had made of the older woman years ago.

But Mito didn't regret it. She would never regret the death of Butsuma because that man had hurt Hashirama, had being willing to sacrifice his sons for a chance to hurt the Uchiha, who had respected Takara since he first met her. Mito hated Butsuma and wasn't sorry he was dead.

Hashirama has the absent thought that Takara's face is strangely calm in the face of Tobirama's rage, she appeared almost serene as though she couldn't hear Tobirama shouting so much that he had turned his face red.

But as usual, it's Mito who had his full attention. The guilt in her eyes was unmistakeable but there was no remorse, a slight stubborn tilt to her chin told him that she stood by whatever made her feel guilty.

And Hashirama has a sudden understanding of why.

"Tobirama." Hashirama's voice was steady and calm as it cut through his brother's furious rant.

Tobirama swirled toward him, his red eyes still enraged though he visibly calmed himself at the sight of his brother's face.

Even Mito's looking at him with slightly wide eyes and Hashirama hasn't got a clue about what about his expression was getting such a reaction. He thought he looked calm, so he didn't know why his wife and brother were shocked.

What Hashirama wasn't aware of was for once his face was completely serious. It was an expression of a leader, something neither of them truly thought Hashirama would ever wear despite him now being the rightful head of the Senju Clan.

He chanced a glance at Takara, and her reaction confused him more. Her head was tilted down a bit to hide a smile curling at her full lips, her green eyes-eyes that had become brighter since her sight came back-were sharp like blades as she watched him. There was no surprise, no shock. It was like she expected it from him. He could tell from the smile and the glint in her eyes that she was proud of him and something inside him swells with pride because he hadn't had Takara look at him like that since that horrible day seven years ago.

"Takara-san can't be responsible for Otou-san's death." Hashirama's firm as he spoke to his brother, and Tobirama remained silent though he could tell his younger brother was still angry. "Takara-san was by Mito's side, do you really think she would leave her side in the middle of battle?"

He could tell that Tobirama's grief and rage had made him forget about that. It hadn't once accorder to him that Takara had been by Mito's side. He could see the flush of shame settling on his brother's face, his eyes lowered to the floor, but Tobirama didn't apologise. He had too much pride for that.

He looked at Mito next. Mito, his wife, his love, his best friend and the woman he had known all his life. And whatever she saw in his eyes made her go wide with shock before narrowing in defiance as she tilted her chin stubbornly.

They both know the other reason Takara didn't help Senju Butsuma. That reason was Mito, and she wasn't remorseful. Though she wasn't proud of what part she played in his death, she didn't regret it. And strangely Hashirama wasn't as bothered as he thought he should be.

Senju Butsuma had never been much of a father to his sons, he had been more like a general talking to his soldiers when he ever talked to them. Though while Hashirama would mourn his passing, it wasn't the loss of a father, but a loss of a kinsmen only.


	4. Chapter 4

Takara's twenty-nine, and for once she's out on the battlefield alone. Ten years have passed, and her hair's still cropped short though had lightened from the sun's rays while her skin had become golden which made her scars stand out more.

It's then she finds a young boy in a bloody, body-covered battleground, wandering around while wearing the battered remains of Uchiha armour.

He was only ten, with dark hair that spiked in a way that made her heart ache in slight loss, and large confused and scared dark eyes. He's been injured—a wound to his head makes his hair stick to his dirty face—and his confused wandering hadn't helped his current state.

Though he was obviously terrified at the sight of her, she calmly made her way to him with a kind smile. She took him to a nearby river, helped him out of his battered armour and tattered clothes, and gently pushed him into the shallow water.

She joined him after removing her clothes, resting them on a low tree branch and sitting in the water in her chest bindings and underwear.

His body is rigid as she carefully begins to wash his wounds, getting all the dirt out so she could heal him. She speaks to him softly, kindly, and he's completely relaxed by the time she's healed him fully before she makes a small fire to warm them as she wrapped him in her jacket after using her turtle-neck as a towel.

Her trousers and chain mail vest are the only things she wears as she holds the boy to her, doing her best to keep him warm. She didn't need him getting ill so soon after she finished healing him.

She had learnt that he couldn't remember anything, not even his name. She thought about taking him back to the Uchiha—his looks and the crest on his chest plate made it obvious where he hailed from—but he begged her to let him stay with her when she suggested it.

And she doesn't have the heart to say no.

She knew the Uchiha would accuse her of kidnapping when they recognised the boy. They would want him back. But she was hopeful that because he had no memory of life with the Uchiha and hopefully hadn't unlocked the Sharingan that they wouldn't fight too hard.

She knew that Tobirama would disapprove when she turned up with the boy, Mito could become a bit jealous as she had never had to share Takara's attention before, and Hashirama would be overjoyed that Takara had done something so kind and would see it as a sign as alliance one day being able to work between the Uchiha and Senju. But in the end Tobirama would get used to it, Mito would hopefully realise that no matter what she was Takara's top priority, and Hashirama would still be overjoyed.

Takara's twenty-nine, she's seen more war and death then she ever wanted too. She knows she's not immortal, and she knows she can't do everything she wants to on her own. She could die any day on the battleground, before she could be fully sure that Naruto and the others would be safe.

So when dawn comes, she gives him his now clean trousers and ignores the armour and top that proudly showed the crest of the Uchiha. She lets him wear her jacket again—it had dried during the night.

She smiled at him as she took his smaller scarred and calloused hand in her own scarred and calloused hand to lead him back to the Senju Compound, cheerfully naming him Akio, informing him with a large grin that she was going to make him into a glorious hero one day.

And he followed her trustingly.

Though he knew nothing about his life before he met this woman, he knew he would follow her anywhere, because he was sure no one had treated him as kindly as this woman had in his entire life.

* * *

Tobirama doesn't know what to really think about Uchiha that Takara randomly decided to bring home.

The boy—Akio—didn't show any signs of the Uchiha's famous cultivate façade of indifference. He was all wide-eyed and emotional, nothing like the others of his clan. If Tobirama was going to be honest, the Uchiha boy reminded him of Hashirama—granted, it was a meeker, less loud and dramatic version of a younger Hashirama—but it still wasn't want he expected from an Uchiha.

Hashirama was no help. He was practically giddy when Takara showed up with the young Uchiha clinging to her arm, the boy looking completely ridiculous in Takara's jacket that reached his mid-thigh.

Hashirama had declared that he looked adorable after the boy had left to get settled in Takara's room. Sometimes he wondered if his brother had taken to many hits in the head when he was younger.

Tobirama thought it was a cunning move on Takara's part. Her jacket had highlighted how young the boy was, how petite he was next to the willowy tall Takara. Her jacket had slipped around his shoulders as her shoulders were broader than his were. Years of Taijutsu training and strength improving excises had made stronger and more muscular than the slim ten year old, whose slight muscle tone suggested he had relied more on speed and most likely Genjutsu then strength. It wasn't that noticeable to the untrained eye, but to a trained and skilled shinobi like himself it was noticeable.

He knew Takara well enough to know she was calculated enough to play on Hashirama's soft side—especially when it came to children—as Mito had made it clear she wasn't bringing any child in the war torn world they lived in, and everyone knew how much Hashirama wanted to have a child with Mito. Mito reaction was subdued, Tobirama had expected her to react visible but it was probable that she hadn't yet realised that she wouldn't have Takara's full attention any more.

He also knew Takara well enough that the move had been a move to protect the boy, mainly from him. By making the boy look as young as he was, she had gained the protection of every woman in the clan that had felt the stirrings of maternal instinct for the young boy—protection that would come in handy if Tobirama ever made a fuss about having an Uchiha in their compound.

Tobirama knew he would lose if he tried to fight against Takara keeping the boy, but he wasn't comfortable with having an Uchiha in their midst.

Even if said Uchiha was an amnesiac ten year old boy.

Though he would admit, privately, that Takara never let the boy out of her sight, so it wasn't like the Uchiha could wreak chaos without her knowing. He would also admit that Takara's training for him left him too tired to do anything against the Senju. Which Tobirama couldn't tell if it was a good thing or not, on the one hand it was tiring him out but on the other it was making him stronger.

Takara had him going through with her daily excise routine. She would wake up at five, go for an hour run around the compound (with weights on, weights she had started Akio on as well), before she did one hundred push-ups then doing some cool done stretches.

After bathing, she would have breakfast and she would than focus on her duty of protecting Mito, taking several breaks throughout the day to do strength training. She often ended up sparring Tobirama in the evening. She sparred with Akio too but spent her spars with him mostly teaching him different Taijutsu styles.

Sundays were Takara's training days. Days she spent most of the day training, briefly trusting the Senju guards to protect Mito, though she never left the compound so she could response swiftly if Mito was in danger.

Akio was of course with her on those days. Takara always had to carry him back in the evenings as he was normally fast asleep.

* * *

Mito at first would admit that she was jealous of Akio. Since she was eight, Takara had been her constant companion and she had never really had to share her before.

But she realised after a while that just because Akio was now part of Takara's life and important to her, didn't mean that Mito was any less important.

Takara looked at Mito like she was her sister, she looked at her as someone to protect no matter the cost. While Takara looked at Akio like he was her son, and she would protect him fiercely like any other mother would.

So Mito decided that the little boy was basically her nephew since she had seen Takara as her sister for years.

Mito knew though it would take a while before she could get Akio to call her Ba-chan, as he still was shy when it came to everyone apart from his new Kaa-san.

* * *

Uchiha Madara's nineteen when he unlocks the Mangekyō Sharingan and takes control of the Uchiha Clan; he's barely the leader for a week before he comes back to his room one day after a long meeting with the Elders to find Takara of the Uzumaki Clan sitting calmly at his table, sipping at his tea like she was an invited guest.

Madara doesn't raise any alarm, he softly closes the door behind him and takes a seat across from the woman, who simply smiled at him in greeting.

It had been years since Madara was anywhere close to this woman. She still wore the same type of dark uniform like clothing that she had been wearing when he first saw her close up when she saved Izuna's life.

Her hair was lighter, a light pastel pink, most likely bleached from the sun that had tanned her skin a light gold colour. Her eyes, brighter than the pale blind eyes he had first seen her with, were hard like green gems and as sharp as a kunai as she stared at him over her tea cup.

They sit in silence for a moment, sizing each other up, seeing how the other had changed over the years, and picking out weaknesses that, if they ended up fighting, could be used to their advantage.

Madara's sharp eyes took in the left arm placed almost causally on her lap, ready to defend her stomach. An old wound that still bothered her? Perhaps it hadn't been healed correctly.

Takara's eyes deliberately glanced down at his own left arm, an old injury had limited the strength and movement of his left arm though he never let it show. It was stupid to think she wouldn't notice—she was a medic and Madara was sure she was a greater one than Hashirama, despite the fact that he had been the one who gave Takara back her sight.

But Madara knew what that glance meant. He would need to get one of his blades free to stab her in the stomach, her obvious weak point, while all Takara had to do was reach out with one hand and she could crush his arm with a simple squeeze.

Madara hadn't forgotten the show of strength she showed when she had sent Izuna flying with just a tap to his chest.

The increasing tension was broken when Takara placed down her cup before grabbing something from her pocket—which had made Madara tense rather than relax when he saw that it wasn't a weapon—and she placed a chip of stone on the wooden table top between them.

He only had to give it one glance to where the chip came from and what it meant being in her hand. He tried very hard to not visibly react but he was sure that she had seen the stiffening of his shoulders as she shifted her weight slightly, ready to jump to her feet at a moment's notice.

"It's rude to break in someone else's home and break a family heirloom," he informed her dryly.

"Lucky for me someone broke me of my manners years ago, or I might have felt embarrassed for such a break in conduct," Takara replied as she bared her teeth in a grin.

Despite himself, he had to smirk. He could understand how his father could both hate and love Takara—she could be infuriating as well as entertaining at the same time.

"Why?" It isn't the most eloquent question, but she understood him completely.

"Some history should never be repeated," came her immediate answer.

His eyebrows furrowed: he doesn't understand the answer. He hadn't been able to read any more of the tablet since he had become the new Clan Leader, having been too busy with various meetings. He also knew that Izuna hadn't really been that interested in the tablet so he would be no help, Izuna was too focused on bringing down the Senju Clan.

He could tell that Takara's pleased that he doesn't understand, and that makes him scowl causing her to laugh.

"No matter how old either you or Hashirama get, you both still act like brats at times." Takara chuckled which just made him scowl harder like she knew it would.

"Why else are you here, Hag?" Madara bit out angrily, though he's surprised by the oddly mournful look that passed quickly over her heart-shaped face.

"You need to choose your path from now on carefully, Madara-san." She told him making him look at her oddly, that look swiftly changing to alarm as her hand whips out and grabs his left arm in a bruising grip that made him gasp in pain.

"You are no longer a child, you are now a leader, the Leader of the Enemy Clan to my Mito-chan. You have to be very careful now, for if you hurt any of her loved ones and make her cry, I will destroy you in such a way that no other clan will be stupid enough to even think about doing the same." Takara's voice is even and calm, sounding like they are just talking over tea. "Do you understand now?"

Tightly, and without a word, Madara nodded.

She smiles at him as she releases his arm. Lithely, she got to her feet, ready to head to the door though she paused just before it.

"Hashirama will no doubt approach you, he wants to make both of yours childhood dreams come true. He truly believes that together, the two of you can do it," are the last words she speaks to him before she leaves, unseen by any of the other Uchiha.

For a long while after, Madara stares blankly at the chip of stone as he cradles his painful arm, her words echoing in his mind.

An image of a smiling dark haired boy filled his mind's eye. Obviously Hashirama was still the idiot he knew all those years ago.

But then again, Madara had never really expected Hashirama to change.

* * *

Takara could have happily cursed both Mito and Hashirama to the fiery pits of the Shinigami's realm.

_Go on holiday, they said. You need a break, they said. It'll be fun, they said. Take Akio-chan with you, they said. Everything will be fine, they said. What's the worst that could happen? They dared to ask. _Takara grumbled in her mind as she slid down sand dunes with Akio clinging to her back, her jacket hung over his head like a cape to protect him from the glare of the sun.

For once Takara wasn't wearing all black. Mito and Hashirama had thought it was a brilliant idea for her to go on holiday with Akio in Kaze, the Land of Wind was famous for its hot and dry desert. It was better for them to go to another country, each nation was too busy with their own civil wars to bother with any foreign ninja.

So both Takara and Akio had gone off on their little holiday in durable and airy tanned clothing. Takara wasn't pleased but at least her adopted son was exited.

Everything had started off fine, they had travelled at a nice pace and when they entered Kaze they had decided to see all of Kaze's famous bazaars. They had found lovely belongs, and things they was sure both Hashirama and Mito would love, and a few gifts they were sure Tobirama would claim to hate but still have them in his room.

It was as they were heading further in that the problems started. Akio had wanted to see the desert dwellers settlements, and Takara would admit she had been curious of how the people of Wind had lived before Sunagakure no Sato was build, so they had decided to go further in to see the settlements.

Takara had made sure they had enough water and food, a thick blanket for the cold night, and anything else she felt they would need.

What Takara and Akio hadn't been aware of was that the people of Wind had finally gotten fed up with having to deal with both their own war and the war against the desert demon, the Ichibi Shukaku, and had decided to seal him away as they lost more ninja to him than they did to each other.

By the time Takara had been able to see the various ninja attacking the Ichibi while a retired ninja and now priest sealed the demon, it had been too late to run.

Takara knew there was always a backlash of some type after one sealed on of the tailed demons. Only seal masters could seal away one of demons with little backlash. The sudden loss of chakra of the demon mixing with the almost over-powering chakra on the seal always made a backlash.

Unfortunately, Wind had never had the best sealers. Gaara's rather weak seal had been done by Chiyo-who had been deemed as one of the best sealers in Suna-and it had been only his strength of will-even as a small baby-that Shukaku hadn't ripped himself out of the seal.

Akio had been confused when his mother had suddenly grabbed him and jumped down the side of the sand dune they had just climbed, even more confused when she cover his body with her own, covering his head with her jacket and pressing his head in her chest while pulling up the neck of her tanned turtle-neck to cover her nose and mouth.

Akio hadn't been confused for long though.

The backlash of the sealing had created a sand-storm that rushed out with a roar and slammed into Takara's back as it raced its way through Kaze.

Akio thought he was screaming into his mother's chest but the noise of the sand-storm was too loud for him to be completely sure.

The sand-storm had lasted hours. When it finally stopped, Takara had to dig them out of the sand.

They had to use one of their bottles of water to clean the sand of their eyes, making Takara declare that she was getting them both googles so they would never have that problem again. Another bottle of water had been wasted cleaning the sand out of the sand/wind burns on the back of Takara's arms, which had to be bandaged.

They had decided that they would be heading home. The sand-storm had scared the eleven year old enough that he wanted to be home and surrounded by his adopted family.

However Lady Luck still wasn't on their side. The sand-storm had changed the whole landscape, covering the stubborn plant life that lived there and made everything look the same.

To save Akio's strength, Takara carried him as she attempted to get them out of the god forsaken desert. She knew she would never go on holiday outside Hi no Kuni again, at least the Land of Fire didn't suffer from sand-storms that could make it impossible to tell where you were.


End file.
